Clinical Relevance of Routine Follow-Up Computed Tomography in Dogs with Presumed Discospondylitis: A Retrospective Study.

Authors

Eva Ingelaere, Laurent Blond, Robin Cavalerie, Antoine Dunié-Mérigot, Clément Baudin-Tréhiou

Published in

Veterinary sciences. Volume 13. Issue 10. Oct 08, 2026. Epub Oct 08, 2026.

Abstract

Computed tomography (CT) findings of discospondylitis in dogs are well described, but limited information is available regarding the clinical value of follow-up CT in veterinary medicine. This retrospective study evaluated CT changes and their associations with clinical outcome in 32 dogs with suspected discospondylitis. Initial and follow-up CT examinations were independently reviewed by two board-certified veterinary radiologists. Disagreements were resolved by agreement between reviewers, and changes in predefined CT abnormalities were combined into a CT Evolution Score. Interobserver agreement for individual CT features ranged from fair to substantial, while the CT Evolution Score showed moderate reliability (ICC = 0.72). Dogs with a good clinical outcome showed more favorable changes in paravertebral soft tissue abnormalities (p < 0.001) and presumptive spinal epidural empyema (p = 0.002), whereas osseous changes did not differ significantly. The CT Evolution Score was higher in dogs with a good outcome (p = 0.010), associated with lower odds of a poor outcome (OR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.17-0.91; p = 0.029), and showed good discriminatory ability (AUC = 0.87). Follow-up CT may provide complementary information, particularly in dogs with incomplete or unfavorable clinical improvement.

PMID:
42944152
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 27 Oct 2026.

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